The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-12-10
CURIOUS FINDS.
Chambers Journal.

it's treasures in a curious and unex- pected way, as was instanced lately by the discovery of a richly jeweled ring in the back of herring caught at Dunbar. The finder was still luckier than a servant in Port Glasgow, who, in cutting up some whiting, found a silver coin in one of them.
 Two curious finds connected with nautical affairs should have an inter- est for Englishmen. Some old can vas that had long been slowed away as lumber, on being unexpect- edly brought to light, was found to be the mainsail of Nelson's ship, the "Victory." The sail was riddled with shot fired during the battle of Trafalgar. When some men were saw ing a portion of an old ships main- mast formerly belonging to a man-of- war at Chatham, a thirty two pound iron shot was observed embedded in the mast, the aperture having been plugged up. This was one of the largest kind of shot used in those times.
 In lake in Berkshire large mis- shapen and unwieldy chub was found, so strange in nappearance and unsightly in it's movements that the most apt zoologist could not account for it's lineal descent or say if it was pisca- tory or amphibious. The creature was found in kind of cage formed by the washed roots of an elm tree by this lake. When young and much smaller, this fish must have got into it's strange prison. Limited to mere turn, the wonder is that-as it must have forced its way init did not force it's way out; but here it was, after years must have lapsed, taking quite the form of the gnarled and struggling roots. With no room to develop, the tail had almost disap- peared, the dorsal fin was altogether obliterated, the body had become very hard, and the scales like so much in- crustation of mud divided into layers. The nose was so pushed in and the gills so enlarged that, when looked at full in the face, it had the appearance of negro whose face had been de- spoiled of it's shining and oily surface. Indeed, it's existence was a matter of marvel, as the water subsided and in- creased at times, so that in dry weather it had only the moist muddy home and semi- fluid for its sub sistenco. When removed, it seemed a puzzle to know whether to class this strange discovery as reptile, fish, or anything else.
 As some workmen were felling tim Der near Herne bay, they discovered in the center of one of the trees cav- ity in which were the remains of a cat. The skeleton was entire, and some hair of a sandy color yet re- mained on the skin. It is conject- ured that the animal, having entered a hollow part of the tree, was unable to extricate itself, and the wood in process of years had grown around it..
 Curious finds have not unfre- quently been made in trees. Some woodcutters in the forest of Dromm- ling made a strange discovery. They began to fell venerable oak, which they soon found to be quite hollow. Being half decayed, it speedily came to the ground with crash, disclosing skeleton in excellent preservation :; even the boots, which came above the knee, were perfect. By it's side were a powderhorn, a porcelain pipe bowl, and silver watch. The teeth were perfect. It would seem to be the skele- ton of a man between thirty and forty years of age. It is conjectured that, while engaged in hunting, he climbed the tree for some purpose, and slipped into the hollow trunk, from which there was no release, and he probably died of starvation. Another mystery was found in the heart of an oak. From tree of this kind, a large block, about eighteen inches in diame- ter, that had been knocking about in various yards and woodsheds, was split up lately, and in it was found an auger-hOle aboHt three fourths of an inch in size, containing bunch of human hair done up in a piece of printed paper. The hair was near the center of the block, and fastened in with pine plug. It was apparently put in when the tree was quite small, as the tree had grown over the plug to the thickness of about four inches, with the grain perfectly smooth and straight.
 X natural curiosity was shown in 8 beF-merchant's workshop; this was the nest and skeleton of a bird embedded in a piece of beech. The timber seemed quite sound all around the cavity, and there was no sign of any aperture into it but the timber being sawn up, the nest with the bird sitting upon it was found. The nest appeared tO be built of mud, and the bird reseMbled titmoase. Probably, at the looping of branch, cavity was formed, and the outside sabse- qNently grown overs but how the